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Natural England is looking to increase the potential financial burden on Wild Justice and the Badger Trust as they challenge the government’s decision to issue additional badger culling licences in England. The licences are scheduled to be in effect from 1 June 2024 to 1 July 2025 in 24 areas that are in their initial, second, or fifth years of culling.
Wild Justice and the Badger Trust claim that Natural England is trying to make it harder for them to pursue legal action by raising the adverse cost cap. Under the Aarhus Convention, the typical cost cap is £10,000 to protect smaller groups in public interest cases. However, Natural England is reportedly seeking to increase this cap to £30,000 for the Badger Trust and £20,000 for Wild Justice in the event they lose the case.
Peter Hambly, the chief executive of the Badger Trust, believes that Natural England’s actions are meant to intimidate the charities into dropping the legal challenge. Despite numerous legal challenges in the past, none have been successful, resulting in substantial costs for Defra and Natural England, which are funded by taxpayers.
While Natural England did not provide a comment on ongoing legal matters, they stated that they fully support the Aarhus Convention’s principles and carefully consider all relevant factors when issuing badger culling licences. The Labour government has recently announced plans to continue badger culling until at least 2029, with a goal to transition from culling to vaccination during this period.
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SOURCE
Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.
